Gate of Falsehood and Reality

In a corner of the ballroom, Lynch sat on a sofa holding a wine glass, guarding Miss Valente like a devoted knight.

Melodious violin music resonated through the hall as guests held their glasses, gathering in small groups of two and three to converse in low whispers.

This was one of the most common ways of socializing among the nobility of Lande. Whether it was ruthless, soul-crushing conspiracies or poignant, romantic courtships, many began at receptions like this.

However, no one came over to exchange pleasantries with Miss Valente and Mr. Levive at this moment. None of the attendees were so dense as to misread the room; moreover, since the two clearly had friction with the host, Count Lorand, the aristocrats all chose to observe from a safe distance.

This made things much easier for the two of them. Unburdened by the need to entertain irrelevant guests, they sat alone in the corner and briefly discussed everything that had just transpired.

As he recounted the events, Lynch's eyes flickered. The experiences of the past few days flashed through his mind, and the threads gradually aligned in his head.

“I suspect that for some reason, Princess Chloe wanted to make the gemstone Flaming Red Lips vanish from public view. So she found the unfortunate Mr. Douglas to act as a scapegoat, deposited the gem into his vault, and then disguised herself as a swindler to steal it back—only to run right into me by coincidence.”

“Because of that, the Hall of Order recommended me to assist her investigation. Since she had a guilty conscience, it was inconvenient for her to refuse, so she cooperatively accepted the suggestion. But the more the police praised me, the less she wanted me involved, fearing I might actually uncover something.”

“So you were completely right. From the very beginning, this invitation was packed with the utmost malice—a pit dug for me to fall into, meant to make me lose face and look foolish so they could kick me out under the pretext of incompetence. Fortunately, thanks to your crash course, I didn't step into the trap, preventing their scheme from succeeding.”

“Mr. Lynch, you underestimate the methods of high nobility,” Miss Valente said, pulling a folding fan out of nowhere and covering her mouth with a soft chuckle. “If your guess just now is correct, then whether you stepped into the trap or not, their scheme has already succeeded.”

“Hm?”

“Heh, what you do doesn't matter; the moment they revealed their actions, it meant it had already worked.” Seeing Lynch look a bit dazed, Miss Valente shook her head and asked back, “Are you angry right now? Would you still accept this commission to help them find the gemstone? What is their ultimate goal?”

Lynch opened his mouth, realizing he had no reply.

With such blatant malice, how could he not be angry? If not for basic politeness, Lynch would have already taken Miss Valente and stormed out. After all, the main objective of the night had been achieved—making a successful debut through this reception. Why stay around any longer?

Yet with Miss Valente's reminder, Lynch realized that leaving right now would play right into their hands.

This girl truly understood every trick in the aristocratic playbook. Just as she said, as long as they initiated the move, Lynch might win a battle, but they would never lose the game.

Recalling the furious and awkwardly embarrassed expressions on the faces of the two high nobles earlier, Lynch couldn't help feeling a chill run down his spine. They acted so convincing—inwardly overjoyed, yet maintaining that grim facade. No wonder people said nobles were born actors.

But now, Lynch had no desire to leave. Filled with resentment from being plotted against, he was determined not to let those two get what they wanted.

If you insist on provoking me, don't blame me for ruining your day. Since you went out of your way to make that gemstone vanish, I'll find that hidden gem for you, leaving you suffering in silence while having to thank me and pay me for it.

Having made up his mind, Lynch was just about to share his thoughts with Miss Valente when he saw a waiter quietly approach them.

Here it came.

Sure enough, led by the waiter, the two left the ballroom through a side door, went around to the second floor, and stepped into a room. The moment he walked in, Lynch noticed that a layer of soft lining was affixed to the walls, giving the room remarkable sound-absorbing properties.

Not only were Count Lorand and Princess Chloe inside, but the three police officers from the Hall of Order were also present. Upon seeing the two enter, all five people in the room offered smiles.

However, Princess Chloe's eyes held a distinct look of shock, and her smile was somewhat forced. Count Lorand, on the other hand, still maintained that facade of heartfelt welcome.

“See? Didn't I tell you? His Lordship the detective and Miss Valente are people of true grace; they wouldn't get upset over such a small matter. Hahaha, please don't take offense, you two! This matter is of utmost gravity, so we had to be cautious and test Mr. Detective's capabilities first.”

“We fully understand your difficulties and naturally take no offense. Otherwise, why would we come up here?”

Sitting face-to-face exchanging smiles while secretly hating each other's guts was a genuinely novel experience for Lynch. Mirroring the refined smile Miss Valente had taught him, he said reservedly:

“It is my honor to serve Her Highness, hehehe. Rest assured, everyone, we will fully cooperate with the gentlemen from the Hall of Order and do our utmost to find the item so as not to disappoint Her Highness. Surely Her Highness and His Lordship do not doubt my skills?”

The young princess pressed her lips into a tight line, offered Lynch an arrogant glance, and raised her head slightly with a faint hum of assent.

“Heh, then please, Your Lordship and Your Highness, explain the situation to us. Yesterday, the two inspectors only told me half the story, leaving me tormented by curiosity. What exactly is this missing Flaming Red Lips, and why is it so important?”

“In itself, it is merely a gemstone,” Princess Chloe said with a stiff expression and a harsh tone. “However, it could be called a key, or perhaps a map.”

As she spoke, she retrieved several photographs from a box under the coffee table and spread them out on the tabletop.

It was a massive gemstone, somewhat resembling a diamond, but dark all over. While it wasn't very clear in the black-and-white photograph, with a little imagination, one could picture how dazzling and radiant the gem itself must be.

“Some say this gemstone was a favorite plaything of the Lady of Fire, though that is merely baseless speculation, as Flaming Red Lips only appeared during the Third Age. But there is another legend: hidden within this gem is a secret. Through it, one can locate where a certain item is hidden and unlock the entrance to its hiding place.”

With police officers present, the woman probably wouldn't spout outright nonsense. Lynch narrowed his eyes and listened intently, his focus naturally heightening. “What item?”

Princess Chloe glanced at him, but cooperatively answered, “The Gate of Falsehood and Reality.”

Lynch was completely bewildered and looked over at Miss Valente. The noble lady was knitting her brows, seemingly trying hard to recall something.

“It is nothing much—just a mystery relic, as you people call them.”

Lynch frowned as well. For a single mystery relic to cause such a grand fuss, it likely wasn't anything harmless. Could it be that he had another chance to encounter a disaster grade mystery relic from the Third Age?

“No, it is not disaster grade,” Her Highness said, her lips twitching slightly as she spoke in a low voice. “It is manifestation grade.”

Lynch didn't register it immediately until Miss Valente held up five fingers. Only then did he realize that this Gate of Falsehood and Reality was actually a super-dangerous object of the highest threat level. Just hearing the description sent an involuntary chill through his body, making his skin prickle.